 by Michael Stafford |
I’m a life-long Republican. My political affiliation has been woven intrinsically into the very fabric of my being.
When I was young, Ronald Reagan bestrode the world like a colossus. I grew up watching the Cold War end-game play out as Reagan faced down the Soviet Union- which really was evil- and helped break the long night of communist repression in Eastern Europe. He was my hero.
Indeed, my first political act was passionately lobbying my fourth-grade classmates to vote for Reagan over Walter Mondale in a mock election in 1984. As an adult, I continued to be a rock-solid Republican- I helped run my law school’s chapter of the Federalist Society and its Republican club. And after the election of President Obama in 2008, I served as an officer in my state Republican Party. For the next two years, I devoted substantial amounts of my time, my talent, and my treasure to supporting local candidates running for office and to building the Party organization.
Today, however, I am a registered Republican no longer.
I came to the decision to leave the GOP not with a heavy heart, but with a broken one.
I reached this point through a long series of awakenings and realizations- a path marked by literally years of wrestling with, and finally accepting, the political implications of a number of difficult truths. It involved ever-increasing levels of cognitive dissonance, as I tried to square my experiences, concerns, and knowledge, with my continued loyalty to the GOP.
As a local GOP official after President Obama’s election, I had a front-row seat as it became infected by a dangerous and virulent form of political rabies.
In the grip of this contagion, the Republican Party has come unhinged. Its fevered hallucinations involve threats from imaginary communists and socialists who, seemingly, lurk around every corner. Climate change- a reality recognized by every single significant scientific body and academy in the world- is a liberal conspiracy conjured up by Al Gore and other leftists who want to destroy America. Large numbers of Republicans- the notorious birthers- believe that the President was not born in the United States. Even worse, few figures in the GOP have the courage to confront them.
Republican economic policies are also indefensible. The GOP constantly claims that its opponents are engaged in “class warfare,” but this is an exercise in projection. In Republican proposals, the wealthy win, and the rest of us lose- one only has to look at Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget to see that.
As Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein have written, “the Republican Party, has become an insurgent outlier—ideologically extreme; contemptuous of the inherited social and economic policy regime; scornful of compromise; unpersuaded by conventional understanding of facts, evidence, and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.” Its reckless behavior helps drive the political dysfunction crippling our nation.
In the end, it offers a dystopian vision of our future- a harsher, crueler and more merciless America starkly divided between the riders, and the ridden.
From the moment the Tea Party emerged on the scene, I had a premonition that I would eventually have to leave the GOP. But my mind conjured innumerable reasons for delay- for putting off the day of reckoning in the desperate hope that some game-changing miracle would occur, such as a victory by Governor Jon Huntsman in the Republican presidential primary.
But no miracle happened. Among all the difficult truths I’ve had to face, perhaps none has been harder than the realization that I, and those dissidents like me, are unrepresentative outliers far removed from, and largely unable to influence, the main currents of opinion within the GOP.
Ultimately, leaving the GOP was necessary in order to maintain my own integrity. Leaving is also a public act of personal protest. I am under no illusions about its broader significance- it will have no impact on the trajectory of the political narrative in this nation. But that does not make it futile. On the contrary, as the shadows lengthen, such minor individual acts of defiance and dissent are more critical now than ever before.
Perhaps, one day, a reformed and responsible Republican Party will reemerge.
But until then, the GOP and I have reached a parting of the ways. In the poignant words of “Kathleen Mavourneen,” an old Irish ballad: “It may be for years, and it may be forever.”
© Copyright 2012 Michael Stafford, distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.
Michael Stafford is a former Republican Party officer and the author of “An Upward Calling.” Michael can be reached at anupwardcalling@yahoo.com
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I evolved the same way. Maybe it was the fact, that at an early age, in Oklahoma, I recognized that so many on the right were talking the same way as the Tea Party does today. I have considered myself an Independent since Vietnam ('70), though, that translates primarily into voting Democratic (not always). Suspect, from listening to others, that the number of simular experiences is dramatically increasing.
My husband was a born and bred conservative/republican. However, since the debacle of 2007 and the congress's treatment of the President and the middle class of this country, he has slowly but surely come to believe that the people running the republican party have frankly...lost their minds. It took our family months of speaking out but in the end he said he had to vote for the man who would work in the best interests of the country.
Welcome home.
I am still in shock to evolve completely, I keep thinking I shall wake up from this twilight zone type of dream we are all in ATM, and the Republican party I grew up in and once loved will return, or suffer such a major shock that reality and common sense and the believe of the constitution shall return full force.
Lorrie this is not a twilight zone.This is for real.The Republican you once knew and loved is now gone and possibly gone forever and if I were you I would leave and never come back...
I learned at an early age that the Republican Party way back in the 50's and 60's, were for making the rich, richer and the poor,poorer. It is that now they are out in the open about it. They always claimed to be more the people of God, on what was right and wrong, I never believed it or saw it. We were of the poor, ten children, but we managed to pay our bills and feed the family, sometimes barely, but it was done. My dad, God rest his soul, was a hard worker and my mom, now 95 stayed home and provided for us. He always said to watch the policies of the Democrats and Republicans and make your choice. It wasn't hard to choose. The Democrats were always to help the poor and middle class, without trying to push their social agenda's down our throats. We see it clearly today, with contraception, with women in the work place, with abortion , with Gays and Lesbians etc. that Republicans seem to think they have the right solution, and we should all follow. Look at Ryan's plan, it is devestating! Glad to see you finally saw the light, I hope there will be others to follow you. It is not about party now, it is about helping everyone,not just the richest few.
Thank you all for testimonies. My people have always been affected by the GOP policies and not in a good way. However, as I see it, it is a war against good and evil. It has nothing to do with race, ideologies, or parties. What these people believe in and are planning to do will affect us all and not for the good. Thank you for standing up and acknowleging the truth about today's GOP. We must stand up together and fight for Our America, and vote for Our President to have a second term. He is our only hope!!!
I've said this before. I have seen the change in the Republican Party ever since the election of Barack Obama. My family members knew of my political orientation. We would have healthy debates about the two parties (Republican/Democrats).I still share some of the Republican views, but, they have totally disrespected this AMERICAN PRESIDENT. I was always taught to respect the office of the President. If you disagreed with him, vote him out. The party stoned wall his programs, said no to all his proposals. Thats crazy. Look, one might say the former southern democrats, who turned republican, are playing the race card and people are afraid to POINT IT OUT..
Yes all of the racial divides that america has overcome now we have a black president he can have things said about him that aint true.Congressional leaders stalling everything he propose to sabotage his re-election, and people tooo blind to see whats really going on around them its sad.
It's so heartening to hear from a rational Republican, which now means ex-Republican. The loons leading your former party today are the progeny of the John Birch Society - the people who called Ike a commie and who William F. Buckley and other rational Republicans wanted nothing to do with. Their zeal in putting their paranoid - and racist - ideology before their country is both pathological and despicable. Congratulations on recognizing it for what it is.
The true form in Politics, I always thought that in order to win an Election, was to beat your opponent with substance, and ideas, that moved the country forward. But I would have to agree, that since Barack Obama was sworn into Office~as POTUS, people who may have had some issues hidden, have definitely come out of the closet! Look, not every individual here in America, or around the world for that matter, are good people~and no one can place a color to that statement. The point I'm trying to make is this~so many have placed a focus on the race of this President, rather than, listening to or visualizing the substance, on the issues that he's putting in place that will eventually protect us all.
Apparently he was disillusioned as a boy but eventually regained his sanity. Ronald Reagan had very little or nothing to do with the fall of the Soviet Union. They did it all by themselves.
Texasdragonfly: I am a lifelong Democrat, but I admie RR for what he did to bring down the Soviet Union. His "Star Wars" project, which no one thought was possible, scared the crap out of Gorby because of the amount of money it would cost to keep up. The only way to get the money would be to reduce the military budget, and that had caused the overthrow of the previous administration. Gorby himself had led the revolt. RR was brilliant about insisting we do that as well as the neutron bomb, which also caused alarm because of its potential cost. Oh yes, Starwars, correctly known as the Strategic Defense Initiative, is working!
Thank you for having the courage to step away from the hateful agenda of the Republican Party & the wisdom to see through their selfish plans for our country. More people need to open their eyes, forget the color of our President's skin, & join the movement to stop the Republicans from ruining our country. They do not have plans to bring our country back economically. The only agenda they have is to try to disgrace & destroy President Obama, & to line their own pockets. They profess all of the holier than thou mumbo jumbo, veiling their hateful evil plans by professing to be good staunch Christians. It's sad, and at the same time, very scary.
As a lifelong Democrat, this makes me sad. I understand the necessity, but lament that intelligent, reasonable, responsible people are being forced from the Republican party by the lunatics *and* wonder where we Democrats will get our "loyal opposition" from to create the necessary climate of debate and negotiation to maintain (?) a healthy democracy. Perhaps this splintering of the Party is a necessary step, leading eventually to a more civilized and meaningful organization but that outcome is not clear and the process is going to be painful.
@ Michael Stafford - Great piece. As an Independant I'd like to ask you if you have any ideas on how we can wake up more Republicans to reality? I'd rather see Republicans like you Revolt against your party before you leave it. The GOP has been hijacked, it needs to be taken back to a level of sanity that we can all live with.
Not only did Mr. Stafford write a thoughtful, measured piece regarding his new political reality, he also somehow manage to get me to read every comment posted by those who read it before me. Oftentimes these comment sections are full of rude rantings that are to be avoided by those of us who dare to practice civility. Somehow, Mr. Stafford has managed to get us to participate in a shared expression/experience of moving Our Country, Our President in a positive unified direction. On a non-macro-level Mr. Stafford has signaled us to move in the direction of a greater and universal united state.
I recently left the GOP. Was Republican for the past few years right after high school. Thank you for sharing because for a while, I thought I was one of the few sane Republicans....but now, I'm a Republican no more.
The disrespect to the President, the stonewalling, the racism, fact-hating and uncompromising approach to politics by the GOP is disgusting, thanks to the Tea Party.
An increasing number of Americans realize the GOP has lost touch with reality.
Oh, Michael what a sad, sad story you tell. I am sorry for your heartbreak. I left the GOP long ago -- after I realized I did not also have to agree with my American husband in political matters (he was vintage M. Hatfield-R Nixon). But despite joining the Democratic Party with great conviction, after a couple of year in no-man's land, it was still possible for me to admire many qualities of Republicans like Reagan, Eisenhower, and even Nixon, among others. Political differences aside. Always holding the greatest regard for the Highest Office in the Land. Today I look for signs of Grand Old Party gentlemen (and gentle-ladies)-- thinkers, statesmen-in-the making. These are people to be admired no matter the political color. I have looked for glimmers of them in the media, in blogs, in commentaries. Truly I thought they were no more. But now I see they've been in hiding . . . and your thoughtful testimony has brought some of them out as your interlocutors (pity they do not hold office). Thank you for that. It gives me hope that we might still reclaim for this nation civil discourse and a platform on which we can engage in substantive debate for the betterment and greatness of our country. I am not naive -- Politicians have been selling their souls to the devil and dancing with its entourage for centuries. But I have never seen the degree of vitriol, of bigotry and of hatred being spewed as part of what some purport to be a viable political philosophy for this nation, in this Century! And, I've never seen a presidential candidate appear so conflicted -- Romney's face is revelatory. I can only imagine how disconcerting and disturbing the dissonance between deeply held personal values (based on religious beliefs, I imagine) and following the current party line must be. How can he accept being a tool of those usurpers? Ironically, I think, Obama's win in November might be a good thing for the GOP -- the party's old guard would have time to retake that institution, for who among them would want that too many of the ignorantly vociferous who've highjacked it assume as many offices? I can only see further embarrassment down the road were their misguided scheme to succeed. As a Democrat I derive great pleasure in facing a worthy opponent, not so this time around -- the contest is disappointing and highly worrisome, to say the least. *** Kudos to you for being a conservative who sees the difference and has the courage to speak truth to power.